Thermometry Bridge System

Maryland

06/24/2025 03:02 PM EDT

07/02/2025 05:00 PM EDT

NIST-SS25-62

6695 / 334516

Title:  Thermometry Bridge System

Background

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Dimensional Metrology Group (DMG) delivers world class dimensional calibration services to support United States manufacturing and other industries. Precise temperature measurement is necessary to correct changes in the wavelength of light in air in our interferometer systems, as well as correct for changes in thermal expansion of gages under test. The NIST DMG is seeking a new thermometry bridge system to both replace ageing equipment and transfer the temperature scale from NIST calibrated thermometers to the secondary thermometers used across our various measurement services.

Minimum Requirements

The NIST DMG is seeking one thermometry bridge system that includes one resistance thermometry bridge and one separate expansion unit with additional measurement channels. The system will be integrated into a length interferometer and serve double-duty as a standard against which to calibrate secondary thermometers inside a temperature bath. Separating the main thermometry bridge unit and the expansion unit allows the bridge to be removed and sent for calibration without disrupting all the probe connections in the interferometer system.

The system shall meet or exceed the minimum requirements identified below. All items must be new.  Used or remanufactured equipment will not be considered for award. Experimental, prototype, or custom items will not be considered.  The use of “gray market” components not authorized for sale in the U.S. by the Contractor is not acceptable.   All line items shall be shipped in the original manufacturer’s packaging and include all original documentation and software, when applicable.

The Contractor shall provide the following one thermometry bridge system that meets the following minimum specifications:

Quantity: 1

1. Physical Specifications
   1. Two components: a main Isotech MicroK thermometry bridge and a separate, compatible expansion unit
   2. Potential to connect up to nine expansion units
   3. Color touch screen interface to edit settings and input probe characteristics
   4. Power cable for standard US AC electrical supply (type A or B socket)
   5. Solid state switching
   6. Operating temperature from 0 °C to 40 °C
   7. Operating relative humidity from 0 % to 95 %
2. Measurement Specifications
   1. Resistance measurement range from 0 Ω to 500 kΩ
   2. Compatibility with thermistor (2 and 4-wire), platinum resistance thermometer, and standard platinum resistance thermometer probes
   3. Compatibility with probes with 4 mm plugs, spades, or bare wires
   4. Three measurement channels on thermometry bridge, one of which may be used to connect bridge to expansion unit
   5. Ten measurement channels on expansion unit
   6. Temperature resolution of 0.01 mK for standard platinum resistance thermometer
   7. Resistance ratio accuracy of 0.125 ppm (ratios 0.95 to 1.05) for standard platinum resistance thermometer
   8. Individual current sources for inputs not current being measured to maintain self-heating effects at constant levels for platinum resistance thermometers and standard platinum resistance thermometers
3. Software Specifications
   1. RS232, GPIB, and USB interfaces for communication with remote computer
   2. Standard Commands for Programmable Instruments (SCPI) protocols for communication with bridge that identify the unit, change the measurement type, select measurement channels, initiate a measurement, and return a measured result remotely from computer
   3. Internal database of probes that contains name, manufacturer, serial number, calibration due date, probe type, resistance-to-temperature conversion type, and conversion coefficients
   4. Steinhart-Hart conversion for thermistors and ITS-90 conversion for platinum resistance thermometers

HOW TO RESPOND TO THIS NOTICE

In responding to this notice, please DO NOT PROVIDE PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. Please include only the following information, readable in either Microsoft Word 365, Microsoft Excel 365, or .pdf format, in the response.  Submit the response by email to the Primary Point of Contact and, if specified, to the Secondary Point of Contact listed at the bottom of this notice as soon as possible, and preferably before the closing date and time of this notice.

• Provide the complete name of your company, address, name of contact for follow-up questions, their email, their phone number and, if your company has an active registration in https://sam.gov, your company’s Unique Entity ID (UEI).
• Details about what your company is capable of providing that meets or exceeds NIST’s minimum requirements.
• Whether your company is an authorized reseller of the product or service being cited and evidence of such authorization.
• Identify any aspects of the description of the requirements in the BACKGROUND section above that could be viewed as unduly restrictive or create unnecessary barriers that adversely affect your firm’s ability to fully participate in a procurement for such services and explain why.  Please offer suggestions for how the requirements could be organized or structured to encourage the participation of small businesses.
• For the NAICS code

• Indicate whether your company is (a) a small business or (b) other than small business.  See the Table of Small Business Size Standards and the associated .pdf download file for small business size standards and additional information.
• If you believe the NAICS code listed in this notice is not the best NAICS code for the type of product addressed in this notice, identify an alternative NAICS code that you believe would be more appropriate for the planned procurement. 

• If your firm has existing Federal Supply Schedule contract(s) or other contracts for products or services against which the Department may be able to place orders, identify the contract number(s) and other relevant information.

• Describe your firm’s experience (as a prime, subcontractor, or consultant) providing the products or services described in Background section.
• Provide any other information that you believe would be valuable for the Government to know as part of its market research for this requirement.
• Please let us know if you would like to engage to get a better understanding of the requirement or need additional information about the Government’s requirement for the products or services described in the Background section. 

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE

Questions regarding this notice may be submitted via email to the Primary Point of Contact and the Secondary Point of Contact listed in this notice. Questions should be submitted so that they are received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on June 25, 2025.  Questions will be anonymized and answered via sources sought notice amendment following the question submission deadline.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The information received in response to this notice will be reviewed and considered so that the NIST may appropriately solicit for its requirements in the near future. 

This notice should not be construed as a commitment by the NIST to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. 

This notice is not a request for a quotation. Responses will not be considered as proposals or quotations.

No award will be made as a result of this notice. 

NIST is not responsible for any costs incurred by the respondents to this notice.

NIST reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and appropriate.

Thank you for taking the time to submit a response to this request.